Pokémon: Rabid Red
by The Ghoul's Bee
Summary: Red had been waiting for that day for years. The day when he'd finally take Charmander and go off on a journey of his own! But when Professor Oak doesn't stop the boy from venturing outside of Pallet Town prior to receiving the fiery starter he desired, will Red still be able to achieve his destiny and become Champion?
1. VS Fearow

Summary: You know the story. You stand at the edge of Pallet Town, preparing to take that one step when a voice calls out. Professor Oak's voice. It is that one moment that defines the rest of your adventure. It is that one moment that ensures you receive your first Pokémon…. So what if he hadn't been there?

* * *

**Pokémon**

**Rabid Red**

* * *

Red.

The color of blood, rubies and strawberries.

It is dangerous, but beautiful; passionate, yet _angry_. There are far too many ways to describe that grand and fiery hue.

Fortunately the people of Pallet Town had no such trouble, for within the confines of their – usually – quiet little village, the word 'Red' could only be associated with one thing.

Red.

"Gwuagh!" a young boy cried out, crumpling to the floor upon receiving the mighty fist of vengeance that had descended upon him.

The five children gathered around him stepped back in fear. Their eyes were wide and terrified, and their gazes were locked on a lone boy glaring at them fiercely from beneath his red cap.

"Alright," he said after a moment of silence, his dark red pupils narrowing dangerously, "who's next?"

The group scattered, various cries and shouts fleeing from their lips as they ran.

"HIIIE!"

"He's a monster! Someone save us!"

"Stupid Red! I thought we had him this time!"

"Tsk," the boy spat. A small swat of red fluid flew from his bruised lips at the motion, "Cowards, the lot of them."

He grimaced while examining his wounds. They would take time to heal, but compared to those of his fallen foe, they were nothing. That being said...

'They're getting smarter,' he thought as he ignored the shivers of pain running down his spine. 'They've learned to attack in groups. Can't say that they're strong enough to beat me though.'

His name was Red, and he was the Scourge of Pallet.

It hadn't always been that way, mind you. Once upon a time he'd been just as average and boring as the next kid, but that had been a long, long time ago. Before his father left to teach Karate in Saffron City. Before his friend Blue took a lesson in stupid.

Before Pallet.

Red's legs wobbled momentarily. It seemed that with the battle's end, his body had lost the adrenaline that had kept him going. It knew he was injured, and it appeared that it wasted no time in reminding him of that fact. Even so, Red fought to remain standing. He dug deep into his reserves, knowing that it'd have been pointless to have won the fight, only to collapse on his defeated opponent before he could get home.

When he was certain he wouldn't fall, Red turned his gaze back to his fallen foe and spoke.

"You... You tell your friends that I'm ready for 'em anytime!" he shouted, "I won't lose to the likes of you!"

He kicked the boy, earned a startled "Eep!" in response, and watched as the coward fled with his tail between his legs.

Finally, it was over.

Red sighed, and once the boy was out of sight, he fell onto his back, exhausted.

"I did it…" he mumbled to himself quietly, "…I won."

Now if only he knew how he'd get away with telling his mom…

She was a nice and amicable young woman, but she had the amazing ability to be stern when it suited her. Most of the time however, her time was spent occupied by the television, watching one of the three available channels in Pallet Town.

Those channels were:

The Pokémon Championship Show – a series filled with modern day Elite Four Battles and reruns of previous Championships.

The Teachy TV Series – an education show for children detailing how to capture the wonderful creatures known as Pokémon.

And finally…

The room was dark.

Hushed whispers echoed within its contents, belonging to the thousand members of the audience gathered inside. Each and every one of them were wondering the same thing: How much longer?

As it turned out, not long at all.

No sooner did the whispers begin to grow louder did the many switches in the room turn on, illuminating the auditorium with brilliant light and revealing the podium that stood before them. On it, stood a single, kind old man donned in little more than a scientist's coat.

His hair was white.

"Welcome, to the world of Pokémon!" he greeted cheerfully throughout the room, earning hundreds of cheers from the mere sound of his voice.

He smiled, "Many of you may recognize me, but for those of you who don't, my name is Samuel Oak. People call me the Pokémon Professor."

He paused for effect, waiting for the applause to die down before moving to speak.

"This world is filled with interesting – no, remarkable creatures that live alongside us each and every day. And as you may be aware, these creatures are referred to all over as, quite simply, Pokémon!" he snapped his finger at that, and throughout the room televisions came to life, each and every one of them containing a silhouette of at least one kind of "Pokémon."

Again, the audience cheered, many of them recognizing one or two of the Pokémon silhouettes contained in one of the televisions. Professor Oak smiled at that, before raising his arms to speak once more.

"For some people, Pokémon are pets. Other people may enjoy using them for battle. We find ourselves coexisting with various kinds." At this, the Professor paused, reaching into one of the many folds of his coat and retrieving a small, red and white orb.

Before the audience could even pause to ask what it was, the man threw the sphere upward, an echoing pop bursting from its being and prompting a small creature to take shape in the sky and crash into the man's chest happily.

Oak laughed at the motion, lifting the small, furry little creature up onto his shoulder with a smile.

"This, is an Eevee," he explained to the confused members of the audience, "and he is just one of the many mysteries I wish to solve."

Oak closed his eyes for a brief moment, the smile never leaving his face. In an instant, they were open once more, and he glanced out toward the audience confidently.

"Are you ready to leap in and learn about this Pokémon world?" he asked, earning yet another round of cheers and applause, "I will be your guide for a story of dreams and adventure!" He swooped his arm outward in a sudden motion, and behind him, a large drape began to unfold, "Now, the world of Pokémon awaits! Let's get started-"

The program suddenly flickered as the door to the house opened, and from her place at the kitchen table, Red's mother smiled.

"Oh, Red!" she greeted kindly, turning to address her only child, "You're home already? Oh! Oh my… what happened to you?!"

"Ngh…" Red grumbled quietly, failing to provide any prominent details as to his current condition.

His mother sighed.

"You were out fighting again weren't you…?" she asked, "I suppose I should be expecting another visit from Daisy then?"

"No…" Red said, moving toward the woman with a small frown on his face, "It wasn't Blue I got in a fight with. It was those other kids… from Viridian."

Red's mother frowned.

"Viridian?" she asked, setting a hand on her cheek sadly, "You mean Joey and those rowdy friends of his?"

Red nodded.

"Well, I don't see why you just haven't made up with him already. You two used to be such good friends. I remember he used to run around following you all the time."

"Friends? With Joey?" Red frowned.

Oh how naive his mother was.

The truth of the matter was that he had _never_ been friends with the boy. Certainly, once upon a time Joey _had_ spent all his time following Red around the village whenever he was in town, but that was only because the boy had been planning on stealing Red's rare Charizard card.

Beneath his hat, Red smiled wryly at the reminder. That had marked the start of their little rivalry, if it could be called that. The sweat and tears that had been exchanged that day were truly something to behold, not that Red would ever admit it to another human being.

His attention was drawn back to the present as his mother walked across the room to grab the first aid kit. He must have been in a worse state than he initially realized.

"Well, boys will be boys I suppose," his mom sighed, "oh! And speaking of boys, have you spoken with Blue recently? His grandfather was on the telly just a bit ago, doing another one of his educational documentaries." The woman giggled a bit, before returning to Red and slapping a bandage over a small cut on his cheek, "That man… do you think he'd accept another invitation to come over for tea? It's been quite some time since we last spoke after all."

"Ugh…" Red grumbled, shaking his head in denial, "Stop it mom. I don't wanna hear about you and your crush on the Professor! It's disgusting! He's nearly twice your age!"

"Oh shush," the woman chided lightly, softly swatting Red on the arm, "you'll ask him when you see him tomorrow, won't you? After all, you wouldn't want your dear old mom to lounge around the house with no one to keep her company would you?"

"What are you talking about?" Red frowned, "I'm not seeing Professor Oak tomor-"

He paused, turning toward the refrigerator to glance at the calendar resting on its door.

April 1st, the day before the Professor was giving new trainers their first Pokémon. Red's eyes widened. How could he have forgotten something so important? He'd been waiting for that day to come for _years_! The day he would finally be able to venture beyond the borders of Pallet, and start his journey to become the one, the only, Pokémon Master!

Pft.

Yeah right.

Certainly, Red had every intention of receiving his starter Pokémon, and venturing forth as a Pokémon Trainer, but not for any outlandish goal that required journeying through region upon region upon region!

No.

He had a far simpler goal in mind. One that still required just as much blood, sweat, and tears as the former.

Simply put, Red intended to become Champion.

A lofty goal indeed. Ever since Lance had taken up the mantle, few if any had ever managed to push past the Elite Four to reach him, much less drive the man into using his dreaded Dragonite. He had been the goal for aspiring trainers for _years_, and many dreamed of climbing those last, few steps behind him to enter the Hall of Fame…

At least, until last year.

Yes.

Somehow, Lance had been _beaten_.

Those who witnessed the battle had refused to comment, and the new Champion preferred to stay out of the spotlight. At first, it had been dismissed as an Urban Legend. After all, how could it be believed, with no video, or evidence to prove it?

No one believed that Lance had been beaten… until the legendary Dragon-user had told them himself.

As expected, the fallback had been tremendous.

Throughout the region of Kanto hundreds of new Trainers leapt at the chance of facing someone more powerful, more deadly than Lance himself. It had been that statement that had sparked Blue's interest in becoming Champion, and for that reason alone, Red knew he had to aim for it as well.

Others may have thought it demeaning or petty, but there was no way in hell that Red was going to just sit by and let Blue become Champion.

And so, with a quick nod to his mother, Red trudged up the stairs to his room, where he would spend the night dreaming of Charmander, one of the three Kanto starters he intended to take with him on his journey….

If only things had gone according to plan.

* * *

**Chapter One: A Rocky Start**

* * *

Morning came to Pallet earlier than expected.

As the sun rose from beyond the horizon, the many chirps and cries of the local Pidgey were more than enough to wake the populace.

Red too, was no exception.

"Alright," the boy muttered to himself quietly, digging through the contents of his backpack, "Potions loaded, Running Shoes acquired, I think I'm just about ready to get outta here!"

"Red!" his mother's voice called from below, "Are you up yet?! Don't forget you're meeting with Professor Oak today!"

"Yeah, mom!" Red replied, "I'm already up! I'll be leaving here shortly."

He opened the door to his room before slinging his bag over his back and making his way down the stairs.

"Right," his mom smiled softly upon seeing him appear, "all boys leave home someday. It said so on the TV… Even so, I can't believe it's already that time…. I still remember when you were crawling around on all fours, you grew up so fast…!" She wiped a tear from her eye.

"Oh man…" Red deadpanned, raising his hands in a placating manner. "You're not gonna start crying on me, are you? I don't think I'd be able to take it."

"Oh, Red!" she cried, draping her arms around the boy and pulling him in for a crushing hug.

Subtly, he returned the gesture.

"Oh, do take care of yourself dear!" the woman spoke swiftly, "Make sure you eat a healthy meal three times a day, and don't forget to call or write every once and a while either!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Red laughed slightly, before removing the woman's arms from his person. "I'll let you know when I get to Pewter."

He adjusted his grip on his bag one last time before turning his attention to the movie playing in the kitchen.

Four boys were walking on railroad tracks…

Red sighed, his lips pulling upward into a soft smile before he turned to face the door.

It was time for him to go too.

With one last goodbye to his mother, he opened the door, and stepped out into the new world.

"Right then," he said to himself, walking down the street toward Professor Oak's well-known Lab, "First things first, Pokémon!"

It was common knowledge that every year the Professor presented several new Pokémon for young Trainers to begin their journeys with! That year however, the Pokémon Oak was to be giving away were supposed to be even rarer than usual!

Red grinned at the prospect.

Charmander.

Squirtle.

Bulbasaur.

Ever since he'd found out what the three Pokémon would be, Red had always known which one he would pick.

The creature that fought with a _red-_hot passion, filled with a desire to surpass its own limits and burn everything to ash!

Yes, the Pokémon that Red had dreamed of having: Charizard!

Of course, he knew full well that meant spending days training it up from a small, cuddly Charmander, but hey, no pain no gain, right?

The boy smiled as he stepped in front of Oak's Lab. It was time to get things started! Slowly, he raised his hand toward the door handle, and made to enter the world filled with mysteries and adventure…!

"Huh…?" Red's eyes squinted in confusion.

The door….

It wasn't… It wasn't budging.

The boy rattled the handle, the door shaking against its hinges as it stood firmly before him, unmoving.

It was locked.

"No…" Red grimaced, trying the other way.

Nothing happened.

"Oh come on, don't do this to me _now_!" Red frowned, "Not when I'm already here!"

He shook the door three more times before glaring through it toward the empty lab.

"Tch… figures," Red muttered after a moment, "Oak never was good at keeping his appointments."

"Well, well, well!" an obnoxious, snobby voice called out from behind him, earning a glare from the boy, "If it isn't Red?! Fancy seeing you here!"

Red sighed. He knew that voice anywhere. It was the one that haunted his dreams and nightmares, always followed by an air of arrogance that threatened to suffocate everyone who came into contact with it. Slowly, Red turned to face his appraiser, his eyes squinted in an unamused stare.

"Blue."

"So Gramps called you over too huh?" the spiky-haired boy asked with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "I don't see why. There's no way _you_ could make it as a Pokémon Trainer!"

"Is that what you think?" Red asked, "Well Blue, just because you're related to the Professor doesn't mean you'll be any good at this thing either."

"Ha, please!" Blue laughed, "I've been training for this day for years! There's no way I'll fail! Heh, I bet you don't even have a Pokéball on you yet, do you?!"

Red frowned.

"You have Pokéballs?"

"Of course!" Blue smirked, reaching onto his belt and grabbing one of the shining red and white orbs before holding it up expectantly, "Specially ordered from Indigo Plateau itself! By the time I reach Viridian City, I'll already have a complete team of Pokémon just waiting to grasp victory! Well, I don't see any Pokéballs on _your_ belt, Red."

"….." Red mumbled quietly.

"What was that Red? I didn't quite hear you."

"I said I don't have any." Red grumbled.

"Oh really? What a surprise Red! It looks like you weren't ready for this Pokémon Trainer thing after all! Lucky for you, I'm feeling a little charitable today!"

He tossed the Pokéball he was holding toward Red's head, only for the boy to catch it with a firm scowl on his face.

"Blue…" Red warned.

"Anyway," Blue continued, paying no mind to the look on Red's face, "It looks like Gramps hasn't shown up yet! Guess I woke up early for nothing… I guess I'll just head back home and take another look at that Town Map my sis had! And don't you go getting any ideas about taking it either!" Blue snapped suddenly, glaring at Red, "I've seen the way you look at her! You stay away from Daisy! Smell ya later, _loser_!"

He shoved past Red and left the scene, no doubt heading back to his house to do whatever it was he said he was going to. Red blinked as he watched the boy leave, trying to comprehend what all had just happened.

Had Blue really just accused him of staring at Daisy in some obscure, obscene fashion? Red shook his head in disbelief. He barely even spoke with the girl, much less saw her around town!

He glanced back at the empty lab one more time before shaking his head in annoyance. Blue or no Blue, the boy was right. If Oak wasn't around there was no point in staying there any longer. He'd have to check back later, preferably _before_ Blue got his own pick of starter Pokémon! Until then, Red figured he might as well take a firm look at the path he'd be taking to Viridian.

To the common folk, it was called Route One. Fitting, considering that it was the first path many of Pallet Town's youth took on their quest to complete the Gym Challenge. Filled to the brim with low-level Pokémon, it was perfect for being used as a Training Ground for aspiring Trainers!

Rattata and Pidgey filled its forests and trees, though Spearow, and the evolved monsters Fearow and Raticate, were known to occasionally make an appearance as well!

Contrary to how he was acting, Red was familiar with Route One. It was the path he'd been forced to take several years prior every day on his way to the Pokémon Academy after all. It was a short and sturdy path, easier to traverse when coming than going, but the boy knew that that was often the case with many of Kanto's paths.

As he stood on the edge of its borders, Red sighed. He had hoped that by this time he'd be on his way to Pewter City, but it seemed that was not to be the case.

"_Well,"_ he thought, _"at least the next time I come up through here this way it'll be with a Charmander!"_

Oh how he wanted that Charmander.

As he prepared to take that first step into the tall grass, a sudden breeze pushed him back. Caught off guard, the boy stumbled slightly, but he did not fall.

"What…?" he asked, placing a hand on top of his head to prevent his hat from being blown away in the breeze, "It's rare for Pallet to have such weather…."

Unbeknownst to Red, the moment of destiny was at hand! At any moment, Professor Oak was bound to make a surprise appearance, whisking the boy away to his lab to finally take hold of that Pokémon he so wanted…!

At any moment….

Any moment….

Red frowned, scratching the back of his head as the breeze finally began to die down.

"Sheesh, talk about weird," he said.

He waited on its edge for several more seconds, as if waiting for something unexpected to happen.

Nothing did.

"I guess it was… my imagination."

"You guess what was your imagination?!" the snobby young voice of an irritable youngster called out before him.

"Ngh, Joey." Red acknowledged, glaring at the smirking boy beneath his cap.

"That's right, it's me, Youngster Joey!" the blue-cap wearing child smirked, "And this time, you're gonna be the one left lying in the dirt, Red!"

"What? You wanna fight again?" Red asked. "After I already beat you down yesterday?"

"That's right, because things are gonna be different this time!" Joey smirked, revealing a small Pokéball in his hands, "I have a Pokémon!"

What?

Well, that was unexpected.

"_You_ have a Pokémon? Must not be very good." Red noted, much to Joey's indignation.

"Hey! You take that back! I worked hard to get this Rattata! So come on, you got a Pokémon today too didn't you? We'll have a Pokémon Battle!"

Red smiled wryly at the thought of facing Joey in a Pokémon Battle, before remembering his current circumstances.

"Sorry," the boy apologized sarcastically, "but I didn't get my Pokémon yet, and even if I had one, I wouldn't waste its energy by contending with the likes of you."

"Eh? You don't have a Pokémon yet?" Joey asked in surprise, before a deadly grin made its way onto his face, "So you came all the way out to Route One without any protection huh…? You must think you're pretty hot stuff."

"What…?" Red deadpanned.

"Looks like you screwed up Red!" Joey shouted, throwing his Pokéball to the sky, "You should have known better than to come out here without any protection! Go, Rattata!"

A shining light erupted from the Pokéball as he spoke, and in a burst of blue energy, a small purple rat appeared in the space between Joey and Red, snarling at the surrounding area rabidly.

"Attacking passerby with your Pokémon now? Looks like you've stooped to a new low, Joey." Red scolded, raising his arms cautiously.

"S-Shut up!" the boy snapped angrily, "I'm just paying you back for all those times you've made a fool out of me! Go Rattata, Tackle!"

The purple rodent narrowed its eyes at the command, but did not disobey. In a surprising display of speed, it lunged forward at Red, attempting to smash into the boy's chest with all it was worth.

With a startled yelp at actually being attacked, Red moved to the side, allowing the Rattata to pass by him harmlessly and skid around in the soft grass.

"Hey! What's the big idea?! Try that again and I'll really get angry, Joey-!"

"Quick Rattata!" Joey continued, "Throw him off balance with a Tail Whip!"

The Rattata growled in acknowledgment, before leaping forward to catch Red from behind. The boy had only managed to turn around halfway when the rodent appeared between his legs, whipping its long, purple tail into his left ankle.

Despite its small size, the motion was more than enough to knock Red's leg out from under him, and the boy let out a startled cry in response as he fell.

"No way-!"

Joey grinned, curling his cap around for a finishing move.

"Now Rattata, while he's down! Get him good with a Hyper Fang!"

"!" Red's eyes went wide. Did Joey even know what that move _was_? And if so, did he really intend to use it on a human?

Rattata too glanced back at his Trainer questionably, but upon seeing the steely gaze of the young boy, he knew there was no mistake. Swiftly, it turned back toward Red, its front two fangs beginning to glow with unearthly power.

"_Darn… Gotta move…!"_ Red thought, climbing up to one knee.

"Ratta, Ratta, Ratta, Ratta, Ratta, Ratta, _Rattata_!" the rodent hissed, charging into Red with as much speed as it could muster.

As its front fangs connected with the boy's skin, the glowing teeth shone brighter, before resulting in a loud, over-the-top explosion that covered the landscape. Joey hissed in annoyance as he was pushed back by the resulting shock wave, his eyes squinted tight to see through the debris.

"Did we get him…?" he asked.

Yes.

"_Gwuuuaugh!_" Red cried, his body and clothes covered in bruises as he was sent soaring backward into a conveniently located river.

He crashed down with a loud splash, his hat and lone Pokéball flying from his grasp into the water beside him.

From his location on the bank, Joey smiled.

"Yeah, we did it!" he cheered, "That'll teach him to mess with me…"

He turned back to the river, expecting to see Red rise up at any moment.

He didn't.

After several minutes had passed, a worried look crossed Joey's face.

"Uh oh… we didn't… we didn't _kill_ him did we?" he asked worriedly, earning a confused shrug from his Rattata. "Oh man, I really hope not. I just wanted to teach him a lesson! Sis is gonna kill me when she finds out I used you like this though!"

He turned back to the river one last time, before shaking his head.

"Grrrr…! He deserved it anyway! Come on Rattata, let's go find a Pidgey!"

Ignoring the Rattata's concerned cries, he recalled it back into the Pokéball, and left for a different part of Route One.

As far as he was concerned, Red was dead.

Fortunately however, this was not the case. While Red was definitely injured from the assault, a single Hyper Fang from a trained Rattata was not quite enough to do the boy in. If Joey had stayed behind another minute, he would have noticed an unconscious body rise from the water down the stream, along with a curious click from what could have only been a Pokéball…

* * *

**-Red-**

* * *

Dragged along with the current, Red's unconscious form was swept downstream, stopping only when the current too had calmed, leaving him to drift silently onto the edge of a damp shore. The boy laid there for several minutes, his body slowly recovering from the assault it had garnered from Rattata's attack.

Suddenly, Red coughed, a torrent of river water flying from his lips as he rolled onto his side.

"Ugh… Ugh…!" he spat, gripping the ground beneath him to try and get his bearings. "Where… Where am I?"

He glanced around, shaking the lightheaded sensation from his mind as he gazed on his surroundings.

It didn't take him long to remember what had happened, and realize that he was still somewhere along Route One.

To think Joey would attack him that way… it was unexpected. Still, Red realized that he should have seen it coming. Joey always had done anything it took to get ahead, and now that they were both qualified to become Pokémon Trainers, that just meant that the boy had that many more means of getting his revenge.

That didn't mean that Red couldn't do the same however.

Groaning as he crawled to his feet, Red coughed twice more, ensuring he got the last of the river's fluids out of his lungs. He'd need every bit of air he could muster if he was gonna track the twerp down and wreak holy vengeance upon him. First things first however, he'd need a Pokémon. Despite his own size much larger than that of the boy's Rattata, he realized that as a Pokémon, the purple rodent had a one-up on any humans it came into contact with. If Red was gonna get in a fight with one, he'd need to even the score somehow.

Luckily, Blue had given him the means of doing so.

Red reached down into his pockets, searching for the small sphere that Blue had given him earlier that day. To think he'd ever thank the boy for being a condescending smart-alack…

"Mmmm…?" Red frowned, unable to find the Pokéball within his things.

Worriedly, he pulled his bag out from behind him, opening the zipper to search its contents as well.

Potions, spare clothes, but no Pokéball.

Had it fallen off of him when he had gotten thrown into the river? And speaking of, the boy realized that he was missing his hat as well! That didn't bode well…

He turned back behind him, intending to scour the area he'd washed up to see, if by some luck, his missing items washed up beside him.

Lucky for him, they had.

"Thank goodness!" he exhaled in relief, running over to the drenched red hat resting atop the small, soaked orb. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost it…"

Smiling softly, Red reached for his hat, twirling it on his fingertips lightly before setting it firmly down atop his head. He shivered upon feeling its cold, wet, fabric settle inside his hair. Regardless, he needed to wear it. It was the only thing hiding his strange red eyes from the world after all.

"And now… the Pokéball…" he continued, reaching back down to grab the shiny red sphere.

As he lifted the orb into his hands, he couldn't help but frown. It felt heavier than before, not by much mind you, but still, different. He shrugged the sensation off, chalking it up to the presence of water. He just hoped that it hadn't broken the system.

"_My hat and Pokéball…"_ he thought to himself, _"With these, I'll catch a Pokémon_ _and show Joey what's what!"_

He didn't have to wait long for a chance for arrive. No sooner did he finish that thought did the shrieking caw of a Fearow alert him to a brilliant opportunity.

Red glanced upward, watching the great shadow of the Beak Pokémon cast itself down upon him. His eyes went wide in surprise.

"A Fearow…? Here?!" he asked excitedly, only to step back as the winds from its flapping wings tore down beside him. "Guh…! It's the same kind as earlier…! Is it the reason…? In that case… Chance!"

"Row!" the bird chirped, its slanted eyes searching for any sign of its prey.

"Only have one shot at this…!" Red mumbled, glancing at his Pokéball confidently, "Here we go! Let's catch… Fearow!"

He tossed the Pokéball up swiftly, the shining orb popping as it nailed the giant monstrosity on the side of the head and popped. The Fearow crowed angrily upon impact, before realizing that something was now floating in the air alongside it.

"Eh…?" Red murmured, taking a step forward upon seeing what was just _released_ from his Pokéball. "It's…"

Giant beady eyes glanced around the scene in confusion. Its yellow spikes bobbed up and down as it became aware that it was no longer in water.

"It's…"

The Fearow's eyes gleamed happily as it spotted ideal prey.

"Karp Karp!"

"MAGIKARP?!" Red shrieked in disbelief, the Pokéball he'd thrown flying back into his hands.

"KARP!"

And not just any Magikarp. A _shiny_ Magikarp.

Fearow scooped the useless fish Pokémon into its beak, before glaring at the human who'd nailed it with the Pokéball.

"O-Oi!" Red shouted, "Hold on! You can't keep that Magikarp! It's mine!"

The Fearow crowed angrily, flapping its wings before turning toward the human who dared address it so casually. Did it not know what it was? It was a Fearow! Lord of the Skies!

"Fearow! Give me back my Magikarp!" Red shouted.

Of course, it wasn't as if he _wanted _the thing. But it was shiny! Besides, as long as it was already out in the open like that he wouldn't be able to _release_ it properly, which meant that the Pokéball in his hands, wouldn't be able to capture another Pokémon!

Fearow didn't care about of that though. It just wanted a meal, and payback on the human who'd hit it atop the head. It wasn't the evolution of the angry Spearow for nothing after all!

With a loud caw, it spread its wings angrily and swooped down toward the boy, intending to make a meal out of him as well!

Red cried out at the motion, but stood his ground. He needed to get that Magikarp back, no matter what!

"Tch, you Fearow…!" Red shouted, "I said give it here!"

The Fearow swept past the boy swiftly, and taking advantage of the moment, Red spread his arms out and caught the Fearow around the neck.

"KARP!"

All three of them lifted into the sky before Red realized what was happening.

"G-Guah! Ngh…" Red grimaced, attempting to ignore the strange sensation of flying to climb properly onto Fearow's back.

Once he was settled in what he could presume to be a safe position, he raised his Pokéball cautiously and aimed for the gold fish flopping around in Fearow's beak.

"Grrr, Magikarp return!" he shouted, a small beam of energy capturing the fish and returning it to the safety of the sphere.

Red swiftly attached the orb to his belt, as he should have done prior to leaving Pallet Town, he realized.

Fearow glared at him, understanding that he was to blame for its lack of a meal.

"Row…!" it snapped dangerously, spreading its wings out in preparation for a dive.

"As for you, Fearow!" Red shouted, "Put me down now!"

The Fearow declined, and with a flap of its wings, dove down into the trees.

Red cried out in surprise, holding on to Fearow's neck for dear life. The bird curled and swept through the trees at intense speed, intending not to _put_ Red down, but to have him _fall_ off. The boy wasn't having any of it though! He was going to hold on until he was safe, no matter what!

"G-Grugah….! Fearow… How about this then?!" Red shouted, lifting his right hand up dangerously to take hold of the bird's wings. He pulled it up slightly, immediately changing the direction they flew in.

Fearow squawked in surprise as it curled into a barrel roll, narrowly avoiding crashing face-first into a tree. It glared at Red from the corner of its eye.

"Don't blame me!" the boy snapped back, "You're the one who won't put me down!"

Fearow cawed, curling its neck around to squawk at the boy properly, and in that one moment, everything changed.

"H-Hey! Look out!"

"Fearow!"

The bird only just managed to turn its head back around when they crashed into an assortment of trees. Ordinarily Fearow would have just "drilled" right through them, but due to its lack of attention, it only managed to dent a piece of the bark.

"FEAROW!" it squawked, its eyes rolling back as it felt the brunt of the collision. It flapped its wings twice more, before falling some fifty feet into the ground below.

"A-Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The second they hit the forest floor, a wave of dirt and debris rose from the ground. With a pained grunt, Red rolled off the back of the unconscious creature, allowing his back to fall on the soft grass quietly.

"U-Ugh… talk about a rough landing…." he murmured aloud.

"Row…." The bird unconsciously agreed with him.

He didn't know how long they'd stayed there. It couldn't have been that long though, as the sun had barely moved from its earlier position when a soft cry rang out toward them.

"Fearow?! Fearow!" a voice called out, "Come on! I know I saw you fly over here! We need to get going!"

Red's ears twitched. They were searching for Fearow…? That meant, it _belonged_ to somebody?!

Well, no wonder it had gotten so upset that a Pokéball had been thrown at it. It was already owned by another Trainer.

"Fearow! Fear-oh, there you are!" a young girl's voice called out to the pair, "I've been looking all over for you- Fearow! What happened to you?!"

"Row….?" The bird asked, its eyes still swirling unconsciously.

"You… got in a fight?" the girl seemed to understand, turning to face the boy lying beside it, "With a human?" she finished in a deadpan tone.

"Er… hi there," Red greeted softly, feeling the girl's deep glare pierce through his very soul, "I take it this is your Fearow then?"

One thing was certain, his Pokémon Journey sure was off to a rocky start.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

**END**


	2. VS Rattata

**Pokémon**

**Rabid Red**

* * *

"Er… hi there," Red greeted softly, feeling the girl's deep glare pierce through his very soul, "I take it this is your Fearow then?"

The girl ran past him, paying him no mind as she knelt beside the wounded creature.

"Ah!" she cried out worriedly. "Fearow! Look at you! Look at your wings!"

"Fear…ow…" the injured Beak Pokémon chirped, bobbing its head side to side softly.

"What did you _do_ to him?!" the girl asked suddenly, turning to glare at Red once more.

The boy raised his hands, attempting to calm her as he climbed back to his feet.

"Hey now, I think a better question is what did your Fearow do to me?" he said. "Besides, that overgrown monstrosity of yours tried to eat my Magikarp!"

"Row!" Fearow squawked, trying to point out that if it hadn't been for Red foolishly tossing the Pokéball as he had, there wouldn't have been a Magikarp for it to devour in the first place.

"Fearow, don't move!" the girl said worriedly, setting a gentle hand on the bird's beak, "we need to get you to the Pokémon Center!"

She reached inside her small purse, grabbing a black and yellow Pokéball before pointing it at the wounded bird. Red blinked at the object in amazement. That wasn't like any Pokéball he'd ever seen before.

Just who was this girl?

"Take a rest for now… I'll have Nurse Joy look over you in a moment," she whispered, recalling Fearow quietly.

That done, she slid the ball back inside her purse and made to stand.

Red shook his head. He could worry about who this girl was and what type of Pokéballs she had later. He needed to figure out how he was going to deal with his new Pokémon…

"Well then, now that that overgrown bird of yours is gone I think it's just about time I got out of here-" Red started, only to be cut off by the girl's piercing glare.

"Oh no you don't!" she scowled, moving to grab him by the collar before he could retreat, "You're coming with me down to the Pokémon Center so we can get this all sorted out! I don't take kindly to people who attack my Pokémon for no good reason you know!"

"I told you already," Red retorted angrily, attempting – and failing – to pry the girl off of him, "your Pokémon was the one doing the attacking! All I did was ask for it to put me down!"

"Oh, so you expect me to believe a fully grown Fearow crashed itself?" The girl asked with a huff, releasing Red's collar to set her hands on her hips.

"Well…" Red frowned, averting his eyes from the girl while playing with his hands, "I… might've moved its wing a little…"

"Oh! So you admit you did something to my Fearow after all!" The girl grimaced. "You just decided to take a joyride didn't you?! Besides, who runs after a Fearow for a _Magikarp_?! I bet you don't even have one!"

The sound of a Pokéball opening cut them both off. The two glanced beside them, where Red's gold Magikarp flopped about on the forest floor harmlessly.

It stopped after a second to glare at the girl.

_Angrily._

"Karp Karp! Karp!"

The two Trainers stared at the scene blankly for several seconds, before Red could finally take no more of the pathetic yapping and held his Pokéball forward.

"Magikarp return!" he shouted, recalling the "useless fish Pokémon" back inside its Pokéball.

"Hmm…?" the girl frowned, raising a brow at the scene. "Okay… so maybe you _do_ have a Magikarp… and a shiny one at that…"

"Told you…" Red grumbled.

"….but that still doesn't explain my Fearow!" the girl snapped.

"Weren't you listening?!" Red snapped. "Your Fearow did that to itself! Kind of…."

"We'll see about that! Nurse Joy is capable of figuring out how any Pokémon injured itself! She'll be able to discern the truth, as it's obvious I can't believe a word you say!"

"Coming from the person who said I didn't have a Magikarp…" Red snorted.

"What was that?!" The girl's glare made Red's retort die on his lips.

"N-Nothing…" he replied, drooping his head down low.

* * *

**Chapter Two: VS Rattata... Again!**

* * *

Pokémon Centers. Oh what wondrous buildings they were!

Filled to the brim with healing equipment and resting rooms, Pokémon Centers were a necessity for the aspiring Trainer. Not only did they offer food and shelter for the weary traveler, but the well-known caretakers of the facility – Nurse Joy, they were all called – healed one's Pokémon with the help of the ever eager Chansey!

And the best part of the Pokémon Center?

Everything was free!

It was for that very reason that Red now sat quietly in the waiting room, across from the stony eyed Trainer he'd met along Route One. They had only just arrived, but his female companion – for the time being – had taken no time in raising a complaint on how _he_ was to blame for her obnoxious Fearow's condition!

The look he'd been given by Nurse Joy when she took their Pokémon hadn't been pretty, to say the least.

Still, if the rumors were true, Nurse Joy would be able to comprehend the real reason why that Fearow had been injured, and once he was cleared of suspicion, he'd be free to head back to Pallet for that Charmander and track that snot-nosed brat down!

Yes.

Terrible vengeance would be wrought upon Youngster Joey, and when it was, no one, not even Arceus would be able to save him-

"What are you looking so happy for?" The girl across from him frowned, her head resting gently within one of her palms. "You aren't planning something are you?"

"That's none of your business!" Red scowled.

"Fine, be that way then," the girl frowned, "I was only trying to pass the time with a little conversation, but if you're gonna be rude about it then forget it!"

"Rude?!" Red asked. "You're the one who's accusing me of beating up your stupid Fearow!"

"Well you did, didn't you?!" Leaf snapped back. "I was only responding like any rational Trainer would have, and you're not out of the woods just yet!"

"Excuse me?" Nurse Joy approaching the pair with a gentle smile on her face. "Your Magikarp is completely healed. If you'd join me at the counter, I'll be able to release it to you whenever you're ready."

"Great!" Red shouted cheerfully as he rose from his seat, eager to get as far away from the girl as he possibly could.

"Hold on one moment!" The girl frowned, standing to accompany them to the front desk. "What about my Fearow? Is it alright?"

"Well, it certainly isn't in any danger, if that's what you're asking." Nurse Joy replied. "However… we did come across a small… problem…"

"A problem?" the girl asked. "Oh no, my Fearow is gonna be alright isn't it?"

Red made no motion to comment, though his face did twist into a slightly worried expression. It wasn't as if he wanted to cause the bird any permanent damage after all.

"Well… most of the damage your Fearow sustained was easy enough to fix," Nurse Joy explained, "unfortunately, it seems that whatever injured your Fearow did quite a number on its right wing. It seems to be broken."

Red flinched.

"B-Broken?!" the girl asked, taking a step forward worriedly. "No way! You'll be able to fix it won't you?!"

"Oh yes!" Nurse Joy replied cheerfully. "With the Pokémon Center's technology such a thing is rather simple, but the process is rather drawn out and time consuming."

Slowly, Red released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. For a moment there he thought he'd done some serious damage to the overgrown avian. It was good to hear that it wasn't permanent.

"Oh…" his temporary companion sighed in relief, "well, that's good to hear. How long is it going to take then? Another hour or two?"

Nurse Joy smiled sheepishly, "Oh, I'm afraid it's going to be much longer than that dearie."

The girl blinked in surprise, "Huh? Really? That's strange. I didn't think Pokémon Centers took that long to heal Pokémon anymore. How long is it gonna take then?"

"Erm…" Nurse Joy paused, stepping back behind the counter and glancing down at her clipboard before running the numbers in her head, "ten to twelve weeks?"

"TEN TO TWELVE WEEKS?!" The girl snapped. "I can't wait that long! I need that Fearow in tip-top shape _now_!"

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you." Nurse Joy admitted. "The surgery itself will take the rest of the day, and from that point on your Fearow will need to undergo physical therapy before being cleared."

The girl wrung her hands anxiously, pulling down on her white fisherman hat as a low whine escaped from her lips.

Nurse Joy smiled at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry for the wait, but there's really nothing more I can do at this time. If you wish to file a complaint, feel free to phone our Board of Directors!" Nurse Joy explained, gesturing to the video-phones located on the far wall of the facility. "They will be happy to take whatever questions or concerns you may have!"

"No," the girl stated emotionlessly after a moment, "it's fine."

She turned to face Red at that point, her expression masked by the low slant of her hat.

"You. This is your fault."

Before Red could even utter a retort, the girl turned and left.

Red watched her leave with a steady frown on his face, wondering if she might be planning to get back at him somehow. Before he could get into the subject however, Nurse Joy promptly recalled his attention to his own Pokémon.

"Here you are! Your Pokémon is fully healed!" Nurse Joy bowed politely as she handed Red his lone Pokéball. "We hope to see you again!"

Frowning, Red took the sphere and promptly attached it back to his belt.

He didn't quite understand why Nurse Joy said that. Did she _want_ his Pokémon to wind up injured and bruised, or was she just trying to be polite in her own way? Either way, it was certainly a shift of attitude from when he'd first been dragged into the Center behind that mysterious girl. He shook his head, driving the thought from his mind.

There was no point in dwelling on it any further.

"Thanks," he replied to the woman, "I'll… do my best?"

Red adjusted his cap slightly, and left the Center without another word.

It had taken some time, but finally, he was free to explore Viridian City.

Rarely had the boy made the trip in his youth, and when he did, it was typically for the sole purpose of attending the local Trainer School that taught students the basics of Pokémon. Status Problems, Type Effectiveness, it was all something they were supposed to learn before setting out on their journeys.

Of course, everyone learned at their own pace…

Regardless, for once in his life, Red could say that he wasn't in Viridian to waste his time sitting behind some desk reading off of a blackboard.

Finally, he could do what he always wanted and take a look inside one of those Pokémarts! Who knew, maybe they even had some of those Pokéballs Blue had been so arrogant about? Red was certain he had enough money to buy at least one or two of the things…

He glanced upward, locking eyes with the sleek blue sign of the store.

There was only one way he was going to find out.

"Let's get to it!" he shouted mostly to himself, running inside the sliding doors and taking his first step inside the Pokémart.

His Pokéball popped open not two steps after doing so.

"KARP!"

"Er, excuse me sir," the clerk behind the counter deadpanned, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to return your Pokémon to its Pokéball. We can't really allow them to try any free samples…."

"It's fine," Red assured the man, glowering at the golden fish. "Magikarp return!"

The fish flopped sadly at the command, and disappeared back inside its red and white home.

Red sighed, holding the Pokéball up to his face and staring at it firmly.

"_Why do you keep on coming out anyway?"_ he couldn't help but wonder. _"It's not like you're doing any good out here…."_

The Pokéball shuffled, almost as if the Magikarp could hear his thoughts.

Red shook his head, and quickly attached the ball back to its holster on his belt before turning down one of the many aisles.

"Looks like they have some good stuff here," he whispered, "I don't see any Pokéballs though…. Are they all out?"

"Heh, you would think something like that, _Red_!" a voice called out from behind him, startling the boy.

"Blue!" Red tried not to shout, turning around to face the boy.

"In the flesh!" Blue greeted, waving his hand nonchalantly as he always did, "So you already made it to Viridian too huh? Interesting, it looks like you might be a worthy adversary for me after all!"

"Worthy adversary…?" Red deadpanned, "You're still on about that huh…?"

"Of course!" Blue smirked, setting a hand on his hip arrogantly, "So, you caught any new Pokémon yet, or are you still just running around with Gramps' old things?"

Not even waiting for a response, Blue took a swift glance at Red's belt, noting the Pokéball he'd given him sitting silently… _alone_.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Blue asked. "Where's the Pokémon Gramps gave you?"

"…." Red sighed, "I didn't get one from him. Some… stuff happened since we last met at his lab."

"Heh, so that's what it was." Blue nodded thoughtfully, "I was wondering why you weren't at the lab to watch me get my awesome Charmander! Now I know! You thought you'd skip ahead and try and get one over on me by catching some rare, obscure Pokémon for your starter didn't you?!"

"W-What?!" Red exclaimed, though not for the reason Blue was expecting.

"Well, it's too late for you now Red, because I've caught up, and from here on out, _you're_ gonna be the one left in the dust!" Blue swiveled on his heel, turning to leave the Pokémart. "Smell ya later, loser!"

"O-Oi! Blue, come back here!" Red shouted after him.

But it was too late.

Blue was gone.

And with him, Charmander as well.

"That sonuva-! He _knew_ I wanted Charmander!" Red cursed. "Now what am I supposed to do?!"

His Pokéball popped open yet again.

"KARP! KARP KARP!"

"Grrrr…. Magikarp!" Red shouted.

"SIR!" the clerk behind the counter scolded.

"…return." Red finished meekly.

Ten minutes later Red sighed as he left the Pokémart several Potions richer. So Blue had chosen Charmander… now what was he supposed to do? All those dreams he'd have of riding upon a mighty Charizard… they were slipping away from him, quickly.

"_This is all Joey's fault!"_ Red thought bitterly as he stomped through Viridian. _"If he hadn't attacked me back then I would've been able to get back in time to get Charmander! Now I have nothing but this stupid Magikarp… that won't stop following me around!"_

"Karp!"

Red sighed, not wanting to recall Magikarp to its Pokéball yet again. He was going to have to do something about that Pokémon soon. How in the world had he even captured it in the first place…? He certainly didn't remember _throwing_ a Pokéball at a gold Magikarp, much less desiring one.

Now that Charmander was off the table he might as well keep the thing. Who knew, it might even come in handy someday!

"Karp, Karp!"

Yeah, right.

"You're a cheeky little fella aren't ya?" he asked, kneeling down to address the flopping fish.

It stopped flopping around on the floor, leaning up properly to stare at Red face-to-face.

"Karp."

"You know," Red muttered, lifting the fish up to stare at it closer, "I've been meaning to ask you all this time… why are you gold? Are you some kind of Super Magikarp or something?"

Magikarp wriggled slightly, its slimy skin knocking it free of Red's grip and allowing it to slap him in the face with its tail. Red cried out, falling onto his butt as Magikarp landed gracefully and began to splash around yet again.

"Karp, Karp!"

"H-Hey!" Red shouted, "What's the big idea?! That wasn't very funny you know!"

Magikarp disagreed. Its eyes were curled up happily as it continued to splash around in the dirt.

"Karp!"

Red climbed back to his feet, his fists trembling with rage.

First Joey, then the Fearow and Charmander, and now this? It was getting to be too much.

"Why you-!"

"Getting in a fight with your Magikarp now? You're even worse off than I thought."

Red deadpanned, turning his head slightly to gaze at his addresser from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, it's you again." He muttered, "What do you want? Come to bug me about your Fearow again? Sorry, but there's nothing to be done about it now. Nurse Joy already told you what's what!"

"That's true," the girl said sadly, "but that's not why I'm here. You see, I need to get to Saffron!"

Red frowned, kneeling down to pick his Magikarp up once again.

"And? I don't see how that's my problem."

"It is." The girl frowned, "Because my Fearow you felt the need to bust up was supposed to be my ride there."

"So? Go catch another Flying Pokémon then! It's not like there aren't any around!"

"Ngh…!" the girl scowled, "No way! Do you know how long it takes to teach a wild Pokémon how to fly a person somewhere it's never been?! It'd take way too long! That's why I decided…" she paused, before pointing to Red dramatically, "I'm gonna have you escort me there!"

"I refuse," Red said immediately, making to walk away.

"W-What?!" the girl shouted in shock, "You can't! You can't do that!"

Red frowned, stopping to stare at the girl in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," he asked, "and why's that?"

"B-Because," the girl said as if it were obvious, "you're the reason my Fearow can't fly me there in the first place!"

"Karp, Karp." Magikarp wiggled slightly, agreeing with the girl.

"Well… that's true…" Red whispered beneath his breath.

The girl nodded sagely.

"Glad we're all in agreement then!" she said proudly, "We can start by heading through Viridian Forest-"

"No way! I've got better things to do than walk around the forest with you!" Red frowned, "Besides, I need to track down that Joey and his stupid Rattata-"

"Huh?!" the girl exclaimed, "Joey? Rattata?"

"Yeah!" Red frowned, giving the girl a stern nod. "He got the drop on me when I was coming through from Pallet Town! Attacked me even though I didn't have a Pokémon! He cost me a Charmander too! I'll make him pay for that!"

"Karp!"

"Eh?" the girl asked wryly, shaking her head as she started to think. _"If you wanted a Charmander shouldn't you have just stayed in Pallet Town to begin with…? But I have to say… hearing that Joey's running around bullying people with Rattata is worrying… I better look in on it…."_

"Fine! What if I help you track him down then?" she asked.

Red and his Magikarp blinked.

"Huh?"

The girl set her hands on her hips.

"You heard me! This Joey kid! I'll help you find him, but in exchange you better take me to Saffron, got it?"

Ordinarily Red would have immediately said no. What help did he need finding some brat in Viridian City of all places? It wasn't like the place was a bustling metropolis! Still, the culmination of events had led to Red not being as complex as he normally would have been. His mind was filled with thoughts of Charmander, Rattata, and vengeance. As such, it was no surprise to the girl when he dumbly nodded his head at her sudden outburst.

"Uh… yeah, alright."

"Karp!"

"Great! Come on then!" the girl shouted eagerly, grabbing Red by the collar and dragging him down the street, "I know exactly where we can look first!"

* * *

**-Red-**

* * *

They had gone to the Gym, only to find it closed and locked.

They had searched Route One, to no avail.

They recalled Magikarp… ten times.

Even the many houses of Joey's so-called "friends" left them with little to no leads, though the girl had always insisted on Red remaining outside during the questioning… it was starting to get suspicious, to be honest.

If he hadn't known that she was doing all this just to get him to take her to Saffron, he might've thought she was trying to hide the boy from him!

Still, the look on her face as she left the last house told him everything he needed to know: she'd found him.

"Route Twenty Two," she had said, pointing toward the small roadway leading toward the Indigo Plateau, "seems he wanted to take a look at the supposed entrance to Victory Road…. Whatever that is."

Victory Road.

The final hurdle for those wishing to face the Elite Four. Red shook his head. Joey may have had a powerful rodent, but even he had to have known that he was a long ways off from facing the Elite Four.

Slowly, Red stared down at his splashing Magikarp.

The time for vengeance was finally upon them.

He would not be denied.

He stepped down onto Route Twenty Two firmly, accompanied by the mysterious hat girl. Their target was in sight.

"Alright, Rattata!" Joey shouted enthusiastically. "Let's go all out and catch that Spearow!"

"Rattata!" the furry purple rodent hissed in agreement, rising up on its hind legs before staring the tiny bird Pokémon down.

"Go! Use Hyper Fang!"

Rattata's fangs shone brightly at the command, and the small critter charged forward intending to finish the bird off in a single blow. Unfortunately, Spearow chose that exact moment to kick some dirt into Rattata's eyes, driving the rodent to miss with a well-timed Sand-Attack.

"Oh no! Rattata!" Joey shouted worriedly.

Spearow crowed, flapping its tiny wings victoriously before taking to the skies.

"No! No! Don't let it get away!" Joey complained. "Hyper Beam! Hyper _Beam_!"

Rattata's eyes went wide at the command, and it turned to stare at Joey incredulously.

"Come on…!" the boy groaned. "Why aren't you using it?!"

"That's because that Rattata doesn't know Hyper Beam, you twit," a voice said behind him.

Joey flinched at the sound, stumbling forward several paces before turning to face the speaker.

"Surprise, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me." Red deadpanned.

The girl walked up beside him with a steady frown on her face.

"I-It's you! But how?" Joey squeaked, pointing towards Red with a shaky finger. "I thought I left you back at the river!" he began sweating when he saw the other person present. "A-And you brought sis too?!"

Red stumbled, a disgusted expression forming on his face.

"Oh, ew, what?! You're his sister?!"

The girl made no move to comment, instead taking a step forward to glare at her younger brother meaningfully.

"Joey you're gonna be in so much trouble when we get back to the house! You know you aren't supposed to be using mom's Rattata for battle! When she finds out what you've been doing with it you're gonna wish that thing knew Hyper Beam just so you could knock yourself out to ignore all the pain you're gonna be in!" she shouted.

Joey flinched, "So… So you told her about that huh? Well, too bad! Pokémon were made for battle! And as for you," he continued, turning his gaze back to Red, "I was just getting even for all those times you beat on me in Pallet Town!"

"Hmph, you're the started it!" Red scowled, raising an arm dangerously.

"Yeah? Well now I'm gonna finish it!" Joey grimaced, "Rattata, use Tackle!"

"JOEY!" his sister shouted angrily.

The purple rodent nodded, its fur standing up on end as it charged forward intending to give Red another dose of pain. Unfortunately for the ruby-eyed rat, things wouldn't go according to plan.

"KARP!"

Red's shiny Pokémon emerged from its Pokéball just in time to intercept the attack. Leaping into the air, it caught the Rattata off guard with its sudden appearance, and "splashed" its fishy tail against the rat's face.

"Ah, it's Magikarp!" Red shouted in surprise.

Rattata fell back in surprise at the motion, despite feeling no pain from the assault. It looked at the fish in shock, before shaking its head and returning to the problem at hand.

"What?!" Joey asked from the sidelines. "You have a _Gold _Magikarp?"

"Yeah," Red smirked slightly upon seeing Joey's surprised face, "and it's really thanks to _you_ that I have it."

"Well… even if it's shiny, a Magikarp is still a Magikarp!" Joey said. "Go Rattata, use tackle on that overgrown fish!"

Rattata nodded.

"Tata, tata, tata, tata, Rattata!"

"Magikarp dodge with Splash!" Red shouted hurriedly.

Magikarp flopped about at the command, managing to pull off a perfect backflip while leaping above Rattata's tackle. It crashed back down on its side seconds later, returning to dancing about helplessly on the ground.

"No way, it dodged?!" Joey questioned.

"_Well, that's certainly one way of using Splash,"_ the girl behind Red thought coyly, _"I wouldn't have thought of that myself. Not bad, for a brute."_

"Nrgh, you may have been able to dodge that one, but how about this?!" Joey shouted. "Rattata, use Hyper Fang!"

"Rattata!" the rodent hissed, its fangs beginning to gleam with awesome power.

"That move again?! Magikarp, you'll need to dodge it!" Red shouted hurriedly.

But it was too late. No sooner did Red finish giving the command did Rattata crash into the side of his Magikarp, resulting in another bursting explosion that covered the landscape.

"Kaaaaaaaarp!" Magikarp shouted weakly, flying back into the small pool of water behind them.

"No, Magikarp!" Red shouted worriedly.

Joey clenched his fist eagerly, "Yeah, that's the way Rattata! You got him!"

"This isn't going to end well for you Joey!" his sister warned from behind Red, "You should just give up before you get in even more trouble!"

"No way! I'm gonna win this thing and prove that I'm a better Trainer than you or mom ever were! Rattata, get ready to use Bite when that Magikarp comes up!"

"Tch… Magikarp, if you can hear me down there use Splash!" Red shouted, _"If it jumps high enough it'll be able to avoid Rattata's attack!"_

"Karp karp karp karp karp karp KARP!" Magikarp replied, splashing its way to the surface and soaring into the air.

"Now Rattata!" Joey shouted, "Bite!"

Rattata didn't need to be told twice. It lunged after the Magikarp swiftly, opening its jaws wide to sink its fangs into Magikarp's scales-

-only for the fish to spin around at the last moment and swipe its tail down onto the back of the rat's head.

Rattata cried out in pain, its body sent crashing down into the pool beneath it. Joey cried out in surprise, watching as Magikarp landed sloppily back on the ground.

"You must be joking!" Joey spat, "I won't lose to a Magikarp! Rattata, get back up here and try Hyper Fang again!"

The pool of water suddenly glowed white. The purple rat leapt from its contents, its teeth shining with energy as it again charged Magikarp directly.

"Magikarp, Splash!" Red shouted just a moment too late.

Once again, Rattata's teeth rammed into his fish, sending it soaring against the rocky walls of Route Twenty Two.

"K-Karp…!" Magikarp said weakly, using its fins to try and stand properly.

"Your Magikarp won't last much longer," the girl told Red.

"I can see that," he grunted in annoyance, "but what can I do?"

"Heh, well, you could always give up!" Joey said arrogantly.

"You wish!" Red retorted. _"Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much more of this Magikarp will be able to take! All Joey's been doing is switching between Bite and Hyper Fang! If that Rattata manages to land another hit… it might be game over! There must be something…"_ his eyes widened. _"The Fangs! If we can get rid of those then it won't matter if Rattata uses Hyper Fang or whatever! But how…? Ah!"_

"Magikarp, stay right there!" Red commanded.

"Karp!"

Joey grinned, "I don't know what you're up too, but it's not going to work! You're just giving us an easier target! Go Rattata, let's wrap this up with Bite!"

Rattata nodded, speeding forward and opening its jaws wide.

"_Perfect he fell for it! Now he just needs to get closer…."_ Red thought, clenching his hand tight, _"Closer… Closer… Now!"_

"Magikarp quickly, leap up with Splash!" Red shouted at the last moment.

Magikarp nodded, flopping upward with a small twirl.

Rattata's eyes bulged as its fangs sank down into the rock behind them powerfully. Unfortunately, the rock was harder than its teeth. Such a thing might not have been a problem if it had been using Hyper Fang, but…

"Rattataaaaaaa!" it hissed in pain, rising on its hind legs to grip its mouth in pain.

"Ah! Rattata, what's wrong?!" Joey asked.

"Of course! He used Rattata's speed and strength against itself!" his sister shouted. "Since it wasn't using Hyper Fang, those rocks were more than enough to damage Rattata's teeth!"

"Now, Magikarp," Red shouted swiftly, "come down hard on its head!"

"KARP!"

Magikarp finished its twirl before flopping back down as fast as it could, its scaly body landing directly on top of Rattata's head.

It was a perfect tackle.

Rattata's eyes blanked out as it felt the full weight of the most pathetic Pokémon crash down on top of it. It fell to the floor in a heap, its front fangs falling out just before its eyes turned into swirls.

It had fainted.

"Yeah! Way to go Magikarp!" Red cheered. "You did it!"

"KARP! KARP!" the gold Magikarp said happily.

"No way…" Joey murmured, falling to his knees in disbelief, "I lost… to a Magikarp?!"

"If I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes I might not have believed it myself." His sister agreed.

"How's that, Joey?" Red asked gleefully, cracking his knuckles together, "And now, it's time for some payback-!"

"Hang on there hotshot," his sister interrupted him, grabbing Red by the collar before he could descend on the defeated boy, "I think you'd be better off leaving this one to me!"

"What?! No way!" Red snapped, "You heard what he did to me with that Rattata of his!"

"Yeah," the girl said far too sweetly, "but somehow I think mom will be able to make him regret it more than _you_ ever will!"

She walked toward Joey slowly, an evil aura overtaking her as she began to crack her own knuckles.

"Besides," she said, keeping the giant smile on her face, "it's been _far_ too long since I got to pick on my "dear younger brother" anyway!"

Despair and horror filled Joey's heart as he looked up and saw the expression on his sister's face.

"N-No!" he cried out hopelessly. "Don't do it! Noooooo!"

Red just stared.

"And she said **I** was a brute..."

"KARP!"

* * *

**-Red-**

* * *

After the girl had finished "picking" on Joey, they "kindly" taken to "escorting" the boy home, where he was to receive the judgment of the all-powerful figure in the household.

His mother.

"I'm terribly sorry about all this," The woman apologized profusely with a bow, "but thank you for letting me know. I assure you that this kind of thing _won't_ happen again! Isn't that right, Joey?"

The boy winced, his ear being pulled tightly by the woman as he mumbled a quiet "yes" to Red.

"Well, I'm just glad that no one got hurt." Red lied.

"Oh please," Joey's sister smirked, "you still want to beat him up don't you? It's written all over your face!"

"Now, now, children," the mother said kindly, "there will be no roughhousing while I'm around."

She turned back to Red, "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"Ah, no." Red said quickly, waving his hands, "I need to get going if I'm gonna reach Pewter City anytime soon."

"Pewter City?" the woman asked, "Ah, I see! So you're going to take the Gym Challenge?"

"Yeah." Red nodded, "I had hoped to do with a Charmander… but I suppose this Magikarp of mine will do fine as well."

"Oh dear, you're only using a Magikarp?" the woman frowned, "That simply will not do! Why don't you take a few spare Pokéballs? At least that way you'll have the chance to capture something on your way through the forest!"

"M-Mom!" the girl shouted insistently upon seeing him hand the boy the many spheres, "Those are mine-!"

"Oh please dear," the woman laughed, "it's not as if you're using them anymore. Might as well give them to an aspiring Trainer like your friend here. What was your name again?" she asked the boy.

"Ah, it's Red, Miss…." he said softly.

"And so polite too!" she giggled, "I think you've found a keeper dear!"

The two blanched.

"No way!"

"You must be joking!"

Joey too, looked horrified at the prospect, but he was prevented from saying anything by yet another pull of the ear.

"Well then, if you're not staying you best hit the road soon!" the woman smiled. "It'll be getting dark within an hour or two!"

"Yeah," Joey's sister sighed, "We should get going."

The mother nodded with a smile, before glancing once at Joey and pulling him up the stairs. Once they were gone, Red turned to look at his "self-proclaimed" companion with a bemused expression on his face.

"We?" he asked, raising a brow casually, "I don't remember promising to travel anywhere with you."

"Didn't you though?" the girl replied, running a hand through her long brown hair, "I seem to remember you making a deal about helping me out if I tracked down Joey. Since I _did_ hold up my side of the bargain…"

"Urk!" Red flinched. He'd forgotten all about that!

"T-That's not fair!" he shouted, "If I'd known you were _related_ to that brat there was no way I'd have gone for that! Of course you'd know where to find him in that situation!"

The girl smiled softly.

"Fair's fair!" she said, "You wouldn't want me to tell everyone that you're a no-good liar who'd leave a poor, innocent, girl like me to trek all the way to Saffron alone now would you?"

Red scowled. "Why you-!"

She cut him off, pointing a finger into his face dramatically.

"And enough with that "Hey, you" stuff!" she continued. "I have a name you know, use it!"

"…." Red wracked his brain, searching for any mention of the girl's name. "Er... is it… Jo…ina?"

"No!" the girl shouted with a huff, "That's not even close! It's Leaf, you idiot! Leaf!"

"Well how was I supposed to guess that?!" Red asked, "It's not like you ever told me!"

"…That's true," Leaf admitted, turning away from the boy sheepishly.

Red sighed. This girl…

"Here," he said after a moment, holding his arm out for a handshake.

"Hm? What are you up to?" Leaf asked cautiously, turning to stare at the hand as if it were some kind of weapon.

"I figure you'd just follow me if I left you behind anyway, so if we're gonna be stuck together, we might as well try and get along." Red muttered, reaffirming his arm once more, "And… I guess I could have been a little sorrier about your Fearow…"

"Hm…" Leaf closed her eyes, thinking it over. "Alright then." She decided, taking the hand with her own.

"Nice to meet you Leaf," Red said as politely as he could, "I'm Red."

Leaf shook her head, holding back a snicker at his awkward face, "Nice to meet you Red, I'm Leaf."

And for that one moment, all was well.

"KARP!"

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**END**


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